Front and rear fascias are common components used in the assembly of the body of an automobile. Rear fascias not only provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance, they also can provide the contour and shape of the rear step portion or load step area of the vehicle. The step portion is used for supporting various loads by the users either entering or exiting the rear of the vehicle, as well as various items that are positioned on the step portion temporarily. Over time, various automotive manufacturers have increased the requirements for loading that is placed on the load step area of the rear fascia. One type of problem that has resulted from the increased loading requirements is that the load step area is not sufficiently supported with the small attachment brackets currently available as required by various automotive manufacturers. Additionally, it is considered highly undesirable to add additional components to provide the support for the load step area. Adding additional components increases cost and manufacturing time.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved type of load step area support which eliminates the need for the load step area support to be shipped and installed separately. There also exists a need to provide additional support for the load step area which minimizes component tooling and handling investments.